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In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences faced by Indian American children after exposure to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We demonstrate that there is an intimate connection—an almost exact correspondence—between James Mill’s colonial-racist discourse (Mill was the head of the British East India Company) and the current school textbook discourse. This racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces the same psychological impacts on Indian American children that racism typically causes: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon akin to racelessness, where children dissociate from the traditions and culture of their ancestors.


This book is the result of four years of rigorous research and academic peer-review, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Dasyus

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Dasyus literally means ‘those who destroy others’.

Origin of the Word Dasyus[edit]

The words ‘Ārya’ and ‘Dasyu’ are found in the Ṛgveda.[1] The word ‘Dasyu’ has been used there in several senses such as:

  1. Super-human enemies
  2. Human foes
  3. Aborigines
  4. Etc.

Meaning of Dasyus[edit]

Some of the words used to describe them give us the impression that they were flat-nosed, ugly and unclean persons who did not perform the sacrificial rites of the Aryans and hated the Deva-s. They were addicted to the strange practices. Names of some of the well known names of the dasyus mentioned in the Vedas are:

  1. Cumuri
  2. Sambara
  3. Śuṣṇa

Beliefs Regarding Dasyus[edit]

  • In later literature the word refers to criminals committing atrocities on peace-loving people.
  • Indra, the lord of the gods, is sometimes referred to as ‘dasyuhatya’. It means a person who destroys the Dasyus.
  • The Iranian terms ‘daṅhu’ and ‘daqyn’ are similar to the word ‘Dasyu’ and indicate a country inhabited by hostile people.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Ṛgveda 1.34.7; 1.100.18; 1.51.8; 1.117.21
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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